Launch · Government, Defense & Space

GalaxEye launches world's first OptoSAR satellite

What they do

GalaxEye builds satellites that combine optical and radar sensors for all-weather imaging

It launched its first OptoSAR satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on 3 May 2026

The 190 kg satellite is India's largest privately developed Earth observation satellite

GalaxEye launched its first OptoSAR satellite under Mission Drishti on 3 May 2026.
The satellite was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California and separated over an hour after liftoff.
It is the world's first satellite combining electro-optical and synthetic aperture radar sensors on a single platform.
The satellite has a mass of 190 kg, making it India's largest privately developed Earth observation satellite.
It enables all-weather, day-and-night imaging, overcoming limitations of cloudy or low-light conditions.
Initial imagery delivery to customers is expected in the coming weeks.
The company has partnered with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO's commercial arm, for global distribution of imagery.

The launch strengthens India's space ecosystem and is part of ISRO's plans to deploy 29 Earth observation satellites for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.
India's spacetech sector has ~200 private startups, and funding surged 94% to $157 Mn in 2025 from $81 Mn in 2024.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the launch as a major achievement in India's space journey.
IN-SPACe chairman Pawan Goenka said the mission strengthens confidence in India's space ecosystem.

GalaxEye designs and manufactures satellites in-house and was founded in 2021.
Its OptoSAR payload co-locates a high-resolution SAR sensor and a 7-band multispectral imager on a single satellite.
It is the world's first commercial multi-sensor satellite combining SAR and MSI, capturing both data streams in a single pass.
The satellite provides fused resolution of 1.8 m, SAR resolution up to 0.9 m in Spotlight mode, and MSI native resolution of 3.6 m GSD at nadir.
OptoSAR provides three times more information than a standalone sensor and eliminates the need for data fusion from separate sources.
Applications include defence, agriculture, disaster management, maritime monitoring, and infrastructure planning.
Defence and security agencies are expected to contribute the majority of early revenue.
Earlier milestones include DroneSAR in 2022 (2 km altitude), HAPS SAR (20 km altitude), and in-orbit validation on ISRO's POEM mission in 2024 (500 km altitude).

Mission Drishti plans a constellation of at least 10 satellites over the next two-and-a-half years.
The company plans to expand its satellite network over the next five years to build a stronger Earth observation system.

IN-SPACe (existing) — Provided testing infrastructure access and launch authorisations.

Product: OptoSAR satellites combining optical and synthetic aperture radar for all-weather day-and-night Earth observation capabilities
Customers: Government agencies, defense establishments, agriculture, insurance and disaster response sectors globally
How it makes money: B2G and B2B model providing satellite Earth observation data and services
What sets it apart: Proprietary OptoSAR technology enabling weather-agnostic imaging with 66% indigenization and reduced global supply chain dependence
Operations: Vertically integrated satellite design and manufacturing through acquisition of StarOps with in-house engineering capabilities